Snapdragon (Antirrhinum) - pink flowers, illustrated plant cardIllustration

Snapdragon

Antirrhinum

Snapdragon blooms from May through September.

Bloom calendar
Bloom time
May–Sep
not yet checked
Hardiness
Annual (replant yearly)
checked
Sun
Full sun
checked
Water
Moderate water
not yet checked
Mature size
2.5 ft × 1 ft
checked
Type
Annual
house classification

Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.

Growing Snapdragon

Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. Expect it to reach about 2.5 ft tall and 1 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).

Verification
What was checked

Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.

See the 8 sources it was checked against

When to plant Snapdragon

Wait until all danger of frost has passed, then plant out Snapdragon into warm soil; in most zones that means late spring. Planted then, it flowers from May to September.

Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.

How big does Snapdragon get?

Illustration of Snapdragon drawn to scale beside an adult2.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult1 ftwide
About 2.5 ft tall and 1 ft wide at maturity: thigh-high beside an adult.

See Snapdragon in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.

How far apart to plant Snapdragon

Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.

Space Snapdragon about 1 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.

Plant them
1 ft apart
Per 10 sq ft
about 10
4 by 8 ft bed
about 32

Add Snapdragon to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.

Where these facts come from

Snapdragon's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 8 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.

How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.

Comes in 10 varieties across 6 colors

Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.

Compare every variety in the Snapdragons group

Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.

VarietyColorBloomsHardinessSunSize (H × W)
BronzeOrangeMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
BurgundyRedMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
CoralPinkMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
OrangeOrangeMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
PurplePurpleMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
RedRedMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
RocketPinkMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun3 ft × 1 ft
RosePinkMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
Snapdragonthis pagePinkMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
WhiteWhiteMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft
YellowYellowMay–SepAnnual (replant yearly)Full sun2.5 ft × 1 ft

Good to know about Snapdragon

Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.

Worth knowing

The closed, two-lipped 'dragon mouth' only opens when a large, strong bee (bumblebee or carpenter bee) lands and pries the lips apart, shutting out honeybees. per NC State and PLOS ONE

A cool-season bloomer

It flowers heavily in the cool of spring and fall, slows or stalls in high-summer heat, then rebounds as temperatures fall. Newer series tolerate heat better. per NC State and Clemson

One watering habit

Water at the base in the morning, not overhead in the evening, so leaves dry fast. This one habit controls both rust and downy mildew. per University of Illinois

Pinch and deadhead for more

Pinch young plants once to branch them, then deadhead spent spikes and cut tall varieties back after flowering to push new stems and prolong bloom. per Clemson and Mississippi State

Pet-safe and edible

Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and the flowers are edible (if bitter), sometimes used as a garnish. A safe pick for family and pet gardens. per ASPCA and NC State

What pairs well with Snapdragon

Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.

  • Perennial Sunflower

    Perennial Sunflower

    Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.

  • Aster

    Aster

    Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.

  • Eastern Redbud

    Eastern Redbud

    Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; echoes the pink.

  • Winterberry

    Winterberry

    Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 6.5 ft, for the layer behind it.

  • Joe Pye Weed

    Joe Pye Weed

    Shares full sun and moderate to high water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 6 ft, for the layer behind it.

  • Flowering Cherry

    Flowering Cherry

    Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; a soft color beside the pink.

  • Rosemary

    Rosemary

    Shares full sun and low to moderate water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.

  • Serviceberry

    Serviceberry

    Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its white flowers settle the pink.

All 8 companion pairings for Snapdragon →

Try Snapdragon with its top companions in a garden →

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